Oscar Piastri eyeing epic 45-year first after brutal act from McLaren teammate
Hometown hero Oscar Piastri says he's "the most relaxed" he's been heading into an Australian Grand Prix, despite being denied a special piece of history by McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. Melbourne-born Piastri will start second on the grid behind Norris for Sunday's race at Albert Park but came within a whisker of becoming the first Australian to claim pole for his home race.
Piastri had history within his grasp after going to the top of the times with just seconds remaining in qualifying, until McLaren teammate Norris denied the local hope in dramatic fashion. Norris had an earlier lap time deleted for exceeding track limits but almost immediately went faster than Piastri after seeing the home crowd erupt at his teammate's sizzling time.
In a cruel twist for Piastri, he was pipped to pole by just eight hundredths of a second as Norris completed a McLaren one-two. Piastri insisted he wasn't too disappointed after giving it everything he had, but admitted he would have liked to be one place higher on the grid and taken his place in Australian motorsport history.
'Pretty happy. It's obviously great to start the year on the font row - only one position back from what I would've liked,' Piastri said. 'Just not quite enough in Q3 but I'm pretty happy with a solid start. Sector three I lost a little bit of time ... maybe left a little bit on the table but it was pretty tricky out there for everybody.
"I wouldn't say I'm disappointed (not to get pole) because I feel like I did a job that I'm happy with. I think if I was sitting here going I had another two-tenths in hand and I blew it then I'd be pretty upset. But I feel like I've executed well this weekend so that's all I can ask for myself."
📻 "Not a bad way to start the year"Kicking off the season with a front-row lockout for @McLaren 🟠#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/XuayZNbDD1
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025
Piastri now has a chance to become the first hometown winner of the Australian Open in 45 years, when Aussie motorsport legend Alan Jones raced to victory in 1980. Piastri will have the majority of a massive crowd inside the Albert Park circuit cheering him on, but the 23-year-old says he's feeling relaxed and not about to let the weight of expectation burden him.
Piastri won two races last season to help his McLaren team claim an unexpected constructors championship and he's hoping to keep that momentum going in the year's first race.
"This is the most relaxed I've been at my home race," Piastri said. "The first two years, especially the first year I came here, it was a pretty overwhelming experience. Even last year, it was still a pretty big experience. This year I've just been able to enjoy it a bit more; maybe because I've been a bit more confident in the car under me.
"But I've really been enjoying it and been enjoying the support. I feel like the support's gone up a little bit since last year as well. It's amazing what happens when you start winning stuff. But no, it's great to have all the home support and very appreciated."
Norris admitted his pole position was bittersweet as it came at the expense of his teammate and a slice of history, but the Englishman said it was just part of the sport. "It's also my job, and it's what I get paid to do," Norris said. "What's written in my contract is I have to go out and drive as quick as I can. It's a difficult one because every country backs their drivers a lot."
Piastri's fellow Australian, Jack Doohan, will start his first home GP from 14th after putting in a solid effort before being eliminated in Q2. "Unlucky with the yellow flag, which brought a close to our chances," Doohan said. "We were looking very strong, even on that (last) lap, we were two-tenths up before that happened."
Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstapppen will start behind the McLarens in third, one spot ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. Fellow Brit and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamiton qualified eighth in his highly-anticipated driving debut for Ferrari. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman's nightmare weekend continued as he failed to record a lap time after suffering gearbox trouble and will start from 20th and last on the grid.
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Grayson Murray, who took his life in May 2024, was still ahead of him in the world ranking and the USGA went down one spot. Scott said Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are among the few who never went through bad spells or serious injury 'and we're talking about two of the greatest of their generation.' McIlroy's streak was interrupted when he injured his left ankle and couldn't play the 2015 British Open. Oakmont is his 39th consecutive major. US Open prize money For the first time since 2021, the U.S. Open is not increasing its prize money. It will be $21.5 million for the second straight year, with $4.3 million going to the winner. It remains the biggest purse of the four majors. The Masters was $21 million this year, while the PGA Championship was at $19 million. The British Open hasn't announced its total purse for next month at Royal Portrush. It was at $17 million last year. The U.S. Open purse was $12.5 million in 2020 and 2021 before making a big leap to $17.5 million in 2022 at Brookline. 'I feel comfortable that we've been a leader in moving fast and bigger,' USGA CEO Mike Whan said Wednesday. The Players Championship has a $25 million purse. The USGA and R&A get the bulk of their revenue from their Opens. They also use that money to invest back in the game, including the Women's Opens and amateur events such as the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup that several of the top stars once played. 'But at the same time, we understand. We want to be relevant,' Whan said. 'We know that this probably isn't really about the money for the person who puts it there, but at the same time, we want the money to be commensurate with the achievement. ... It's part of creating what we want to be the greatest championship in the game.' Driver testing Xander Schauffele couldn't contain his laughter when he said both his drivers were tested this week and both passed the USGA limits of trampoline effect. It was no joking matter for Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship when word got out that his driver didn't pass the test from too much use. Turns out Scottie Scheffler's driver didn't pass for the same reason, and they had to get new drivers. The results are supposed to be confidential. The post on McIlroy's driver was published without any context — the random testing at every major, and the service being done for players (and equipment makers) who otherwise would be unaware when the faces of the drivers become too thin from constant strikes. Whan said he felt stronger than ever to keep results private 'In terms of what happened at the PGA Championship, it made us more committed to not wanting to have this be the topic of the town,' Whan said 'Because I think when you talked about a rules violation or somebody who's playing with a hot driver, that gets so much more sensational than the reality. 'I can tell you as a rules body, if we had concern about this incredible advantage, we would change the degree in which we test,' he said 'But we think the testing that we're doing now is commensurate with the size of both the issue and the size of the reality of the issue.' Rain and rocks The Pittsburgh area had one of the wettest Mays in history, not ideal for a U.S. Open that would prefer Oakmont to be firm, fast and scary. But it's not just the golf course. It can turn into a sloppy mess outside the ropes, and for some of the lots the U.S. Open is using for parking. That's why Whan was quick to celebrate Thomas Construction, a local company that has supplied gravel to create paths in walkways and parking lots. 'He no longer has gravel — true story — and he's only had one customer in the last 60 days — us,' Whan said. 'Suffice it to say, he told us there's more gravel here than in the quarry right now. And I apologize to all you (Oakmont) members. Good news is it's outside of the rope lines.' ___ AP golf:
